I am in need of a new pair of shoes. I have been recommended by my lbs to get a pair of shimano shoes. However my previous experience with other shimano products is that there is generally another company that will make a product of a higher quality or just better features (not just talking about shoes here).

Unfortunately i dont have a huge range of options (definetly not ordering online) in what to get but i am considering looking in to Answer shoes. Anyones opinions on shimano shoes? Any other brands you would recommended?
(btw looking to spend up to about $200 Australian dollars. The 2 pairs of shimanos were $149 & $199)

I have specialized shoes, i think they look nice, i find so many shoes have these ass ugly designs and flashyness. Its like a light show, mine are a nice gray, leatherish material and compatable with all the popular cleat patterns.

yeah, dude i am in serious need of people who ride properly, i hav 1 mate who does and 1 dude i talk to, so if u want to talk bikes and that, well, im here, totalstooge@hotmail.com, im aussie too mate lol

shimanos are very comfy, but sidis last the longest and have the best fit.

Thats a bit subjective isn't it!

Theres always someone who makes something that looks flashier or is lighter or is this or that.
As far as Shoes go, Shimano's are great if they fit well.

Answer shoes in my experience have suffered from the soles falling apart. Not one pair, not two but 3!
Eventually i gave up, demanded my money back and bought some Northwaves which are now 5 yrs old and still ticking over.
18months ago I bought a pair of Shimano M221's and they are superb!
Comfy and strong
Very stiff in the right directions and the sole is nice and grippy.
They're not the lightest, nor the flashiest, but they get the job done and are very efficient at power transfer

shimanos are very comfy, but sidis last the longest and have the best fit.

Now that is very subjective isn't it? Sidis dont fit my feet correctly while Shamino shoes fit like a dream. There are also some posts saying Sidis are wearing out on mtbreview.com. So really, the trick is to find a pair of shoes that fit the particular person, and it is really hard to make a generalization on which manufacturer is able to make the best pair of shoes.
Ming

Now that is very subjective isn't it? Sidis dont fit my feet correctly while Shamino shoes fit like a dream. There are also some posts saying Sidis are wearing out on mtbreview.com. So really, the trick is to find a pair of shoes that fit the particular person, and it is really hard to make a generalization on which manufacturer is able to make the best pair of shoes.
Ming

Is it just me or do cycling shoes tend to run *really* tight compared to street shoes of the same size? Some of the cycling shoes I've tried on look like banana peels, they are so narrow! I like Shimanos, too, but I always have to go at least a half size larger than the same size in a non-cycling shoe (as I also have to do for Lakes, 661's, .....).

I have a pair of sidi action... WOW... what a great pair of shoes. I tried the entry level shimano shoes... they were ok... but the sidi action has a twist lace... so I was very secure to my shoes... and easy to get out..